slfinnell

Documentation/Letter D

Letter D

Welcome to this year’s A to Z Challenge! This year I’m talking Child Care. I’ll be blogging topics related to my many years in the family home daycare profession. I hope you can find a tidbit of information that is useful in caring for children whether you’re a parent, grand or another important person in a child’s life. And to end each post, I’ll share a bit of my creative side/relaxation time. Taking time for yourself is good for your health–both yours and your family’s 😉

Back in 1993 when I first entered the world of the early childhood profession, I was helping my sister in her own licensed daycare. (Yep, it’s all her fault I’m here. Thanks sis! No tongue in cheek here.) There were no computers to document, no cell phones to snap a pic, and kids did not yet own tablets unless it was a paper tablet.

I subscribed to early childhood magazines, attended all-day trainings, and got my ideas from library books and magazines. Taxes were hand written in ledgers – no Excel or Quick Books. I could go on but we’re to keep this simple and I just wanted to make the point that even though times have changed, documentation remains a constant.

Currently I document quite a bit on my laptop. I keep taxes, copies of bills paid online, payments from families, etc. But I also keep an old-fashioned calendar-keeper handy. It’s always good to have a back up plan. Photos no longer need to be processed from a roll of film but if you want to share you now can either make photo collages, send out email newsletters, send texts with photos or print them at home on your printer. Not to mention, photo books are now available for print to keep those memories saved. Ever made photo magnets? A really great gift idea!

Latest sewing journal with extras tucked in ;)
Latest sewing journal with extras tucked in 😉

And for me there is still a handwritten journal. Yes, I blog a few things on early childhood, but for the most part I track my days in writing. There is something therapeutic about taking time and thought to remember the moments and events. I highly recommend it.

Further, I am photo documenting the progress on the latest evening-time project. This quilt pattern is unknown to me and part of a stash of rescued quilt tops the hubby found at an online auction for me to finish. A woman was trying her best to see to it that her mother’s work didn’t just go to the highest bidder, she wanted to see them completed. Her mother hand-pieced all her quilts so Hand-quilting them is a good way to do them justice. Feeling a bit like a ‘quilt whisperer’. If you know the pattern, please fill me in. On to the next…

  • All Hand Quilted
  • Keeps me toasty
  • Done!

Hope you’ll take time to check out other A to Z blogs in the month on April. Click here to find the list. Click here for the Official A to Z blog. Have a great day and stay safe!!

14 comments

  1. The quilt is so pretty and all by hand? Wow. I was fortunate enough to have my mom to watch all three of my kids but we did have the eldest in a home daycare for a little while. The provider had a stroke though and that’s when my mom took over.

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    • I have tried explaining to my families that had I had an injury like a broken leg, this situation would be the same. I’d be closed in other words. As it is, the hubby’s health determined the same result with this pandemic. I also Always tell them and it is even in writing in our contracts that they Must have back up care. I am only human. I’m really glad in other words that you had your mother to help you. I really feel for those who are caught unaware in this current pandemic. I really do.

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    • That’s it! And thank you! Very much appreciated. I have another one in blues that I’ll be preparing for quilting. Plenty of time on my hands for awhile.

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  5. Talking about documenting reminded me of my journal. I started in 2006 when I retired from teaching. I thought I needed to record each day so it wouldn’t blur into the next. At first it was handwritten until one day in mid 2007 our car was stolen and burnt with my diary in it. I lost six months! So I went onto my laptop and wrote it in Word. After two successive laptops gave up the ghost I bought an iPad… the laptops were backed up on my desktop computer fortunately. For three years I have been writing in “Day One” on the iPad. I can look back to see what I did this day for the last few years. Very handy.

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